Slidable jaw wrench having a nut latching means



March 16', 1965 NEFF 3,173,317

SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH HAVING A NUT LATCHING MEANS Filed March 18, 1963 5/ J9; 33 F1 6 IMIE mimfl F .3 f i9.Z F91 l9 TED NEFF INVENTOR.

BY 17m United States. Patent O 3,173,317 SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH HAVING A NUT LATCHIN G MEANS Ted Neif, 20975 Shamrock Ave., San llernardino, Calif. Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,798 6 Claims. ((11. 81-167) This invention is for a wrench that is new and novel and which has a general purpose. It is adapted for use on various sizes of nuts, boltheads and the like as well as on wires and tubes and the like. A cutout portion is made on one side of the head of the wrench so that it can readily grip nuts and boltheads that are screw connected to rods, tubes and wires and the like; in fact, the wrench is useful to grip smooth or rough surfaces of rods, tubes and thick wires so that these items can be securely held or rotated.

The gripping jaws of the wrench are provided with groove-like means where the corners of nuts and boltheads are positioned so that when they are firmly gripped, their corners will not be contacted at all and thus the corners of bolt-heads and nuts can be kept sharp and unmarred, that is, free of burns, cuts, scratches and flattened corners.

Means is provided for locking the head of the wrench in adjusted position so that when it is in use, the gripping head will remain in the same secured adjusted position at all times until purposely changed by the operator.

Such a wrench may have all the mentioned features or any one of them or combination of them in that such parts may interfere with some special items worked upon.

One of the principal objects of thisinvention is to provide a hand or machine wrench that is capable of various uses and especially for the quick gripping of items to be held or turned even though the item to be turned is concentric or semi-concentric with or upon a rod, tube or wire.

Another object is to present a latching means for the jaws of wrench heads that is quick and easy of operation and which can be operated while the wrench lever or handle is held in the grip of the operator; the releasing of the latching or locking means being just as quickly and easily accomplished as the locking or latching thereof.

Still another object is to provide the gripping surfaces of a wrench head with means to avoid damaging of the corners of bolt-heads and nuts when in use for holding or rotating the bolt-heads, nuts or any kind of workpiece.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent upon the reading of the specifications and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the wrench showing the jaws thereof almost closed;

FIG. 2, a back side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front side'elevational View thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. is an elevational view, parts broken away, of a portion of the wrench in order to enhance the showing in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an alternate form of jaw member, and it is a side elevational view with the stem broken away.

The particular disclosure of the invention as shown in the drawings comprises a handle portion 1 and a head portion 2 arranged to form a complete wrench and which shows how the invention can be constructed and used.

The handle 3 is a bar of suitable tough metal having the strengthening ribs 4 and 5 integral therewith and a hole 6 which is shown round although it can be shaped to act as a tool of some kind. An upper portion of the handle is curved at 7 to form an offset boss portion 8 or bottom of a head portion. From this boss are spaced apart stubby walls 9 and 10 which are integral with the boss 8 and with boss like portion 11 that supports a neck 13.

These portions combine to form an opening 12. The upper end of the neck terminates into a jaw 14 having the sloping surfaces 15 and 16 which are adapted to engage the sides of a nut or the like. The lower portions of these surfaces cooperate to form a rounded or groove-like depression 17 so that when a nut is engaged by this jaw, the corner of the nut is not touched at all, hence the corner is not scored or damaged in anyway whatever. Note, that the upper portion of the handle at the head 2 is at an angle with respect to the handle portion 1 so that a workmans knuckles can be spared while using the wrench.

A rectangular bore 18 passes through the portion 8 of the handle and another rectangular bore 19 passes through the portion 11 and these bores are sized to neatly receive, with slide clearance, a threaded portion 29 which is a stem for supporting an integral jaw head 21. These bores are guides for the stem. The threads 22 being cut into one curved side of the stem and the threads 23 being cut into the other curved side of the stem 20. The element 21 is curved as shown and forms the integral top of jaw member 24. One sideof this jaw is open at 25 so that the jaws of the wrench can be looped over a rod or tube and the jaws thus being able to grip the rod or tube or any nut or the like that may be concentric with the rod or tubes. Note that the upper or top jaw 24 has a centrally located groove at 26 from which radiates the flat slanted surface-s 27 and 28, as shown.

The jaw surfaces 15, 16, 27 and 28 are arranged and designed to firmly grip the work piece or nut or bolthead whereas the grooved portions are arranged and designed to provide clearance for the corners of the nut or bolthead and thus avoid damaging the corners when the wrench is in operation.

For raising and lowering the movable jaw a finger operative means or screw coupler element 36 is provided and which has the upper and lower toothed annular bosses 31 and 32 and the annular recessed smooth surface 33. Centrally of this coupler element there is a bore 34 which is threaded to engage the threads 22 and 23 on the stem 2%) so that when the finger element is rotated the stem and its jaw will rise and fall so as to move the jaws toward closing or toward opening positions. The annular bosses 31 and 32 are deeply knurled to provide them with teeth 35, see FIG. 4, so that an operators fingers can easily rotate the coupler element and for the operation of a latching and/or locking means to be presently explained.

The locking element comprises an elastic or resilient spring member 40 which has the long leg 41, top short leg 42 and bottom leg 43. 'The top leg has a downwardly turned lip 44 and the bottom leg has the upwardly turned portion 45 and the outwardly turned tab portion 46. All these integral parts grip the stub wall 9 of the wrench and this spring member can be shifted up and down the stub wall so that the tab can engage or disengage the teeth 35 on the coupler element 30. When the tab engages the teeth, the coupler is locked and cannot be turned until released by shifting the spring downwardly away from the teeth. To make it easier for the operator to shift the spring member, a finger or thumb knurled plate 47 is provided and this plate has its thin ends 48 and 49 thereof passed through openings in the spring and then the ends turned under, as shown.

It should now be apparent that applicant has provided a quick adjustment wrench that can be locked in a holding position; and a wrench that is not damaging to the corners of bolt-heads and nuts and this is a very important feature. Often, bolt-heads and nuts are of the exposed type that are in plain view of the public. Many articles on display or for sale purposes have exposed nuts and bolt-heads and it is highly desirable to avoid damaging them in any way whatsoever. Furthermore, damaged bolt-heads and nuts are difficult to remove.

Although it is preferable to provide the movable jaw with an opening along its side as shown at 25, Such an opening may not always be desirable. In FIG. 6 is shown a jaw 50 fixed to the top end of a stem 51. This stem 50 has a central opening 52 within a perimetrical band 53. The band is shaped as shown and has the inner faces 54 and 55 arranged at a wide angle. These surfaces grip the nut along with the surfaces and 16 when this form of the invention is substituted for the movable jaw and stem 21 and 20. A groove-like means 56 is also provided in this modified jaw so that the corners or nuts can be protected.

Certain novel features and details of this invention are disclosed herein, and in some cases in considerable detail, in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention, as disclosed, is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details disclosed since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wrench having a handle with a head portion fixed to the top end thereof, a first jaw member fixed to the top of the head portion, spaced apart alined guide means in the head portion, a stem in the guide means adapted to slide therealong, a second jaw member fixed to the top of the stem in alinement with the first jaw member for mutual contact and spacing relationship, control means within the space between the guide means and through which passes the stem, the control means when active reciprocates the stem, teeth means on the ends of the control means spaced apart to provide an annular smooth surface between them, shiftable means on the head portion having a tab that engages the teeth means to prevent operation of the control means and rides along the annular smooth surface when the tab is free of the teeth means, the jaws each having a groove in common alinement adapted to receive the corners of a workpiece such as a nut and the like.

2. A wrench device having a handle means and a head portion on the handle means at the top end thereof, a jaw member at the top end of the head portion, a movable jaw alined with the jaw member and having a stern means, a cylindrical control means in the head portion to support the stem and operative to shift it so that the jaws will open and close with respect to one another, said control means comprising annular end portions having teeth and an annular smooth central portion recessed from said end portions, and latching means slidabTy mounted on said head and having a tab member positionable adjacent said smooth portion and positionable adjacent and in latching engagement with one of said end portions to prevent movement of said movable jaw.

3. The wrench recited in claim 2 wherein the head portion has guides to accommodate the stem and wherein the head portion has open parts to expose the cylindrical control means so that it can be operated by the fingers of an operator, and wherein the tab member has flanges which clip onto a side of the head portion.

4. The wrench recited in claim 3 wherein each jaw has a pair of slanted surfaces adapted to engage flat surfaces on a workpiece, and groove means along each jaw where the slanted surfaces would meet if extended so that the groove means can engage a plurality of corners on a workpiece.

5. A tool device comprising a wrench with a handle, a head portion having a jaw fixed to the top end of the handle and wherein the head portion has its longitudinal center line at a slight angle with respect tothe longitudinal center. line of the handle, a pair of alined and spaced apart guides in the head portion, a rotary control means between the guides and in alinement therewith, the control means comprising a cylindrical body having an annular row of teeth at an end thereof and a smooth space beneath the teeth to accommodate a tab portion of a latching device, a movable jaw having a stem, said stem passing through the guides and through the control means, coacting means connecting the control means to the stem so that the stem can be shifted through the guides when the control means is activated, the latching device having a C-shaped spring element with the tab portion extending therefrom and the element being slideably positioned on the head portion and positionable so that the tab engages the teeth on the control means to latch it and thus set the jaws in a fixed position.

6. The tool device recited in claim 5 wherein one side of one of the jaws is open so that it can be looped over a wire and the like.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 983,628 2/11 LinSay 81-167 X 1,599,162 9/26 Brown 81-165 1,609,732 12/26 McLaughlin et al. 1,697,764 1/29 Heinz 81-173 X 1,954,820 4/34 Kress. 2,483,917 10/49 Maselter 81-165 2,640,382 6/53 Grossman 81-119 2,692,522 10/ 54 Reyner 81-186 2,719,450 10/55 Jackson 81-165 2,755,694 7/56 Hund 81-165 2,912,891 11/59 Neif 81-167 3,015,246 1/62 Buyer 81-167 FOREIGN PATENTS 669,016 7/29 France. 755,919 9/33 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. IN A WRENCH HAVING A HANDLE WITH A HEAD PORTION FIXED TO THE TOP END THEREOF, A FIRST JAW MEMBER FIXED TO THE TOP OF THE HEAD PORTION, SPACED APART ALINED GUIDE MEANS IN THE HEAD PORTION, A STEM IN THE GUIDE MEANS ADAPTED TO SLIDE THEREALONG, A SECOND JAW MEMBER FIXED TO THE TOP OF THE STEM IN ALINEMENT WITH THE FIRST JAW MEMBER FOR MUTUAL CONTACT AND SPACING RELATIONSHIP, CONTROL MEANS WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE GUIDE MEANS AND THROUGH WHICH PASSES THE STEM, THE CONTROL MEANS WHEN ACTIVE RECIPROCATES THE STEM, TEETH MEANS ON THE ENDS OF THE CONTROL MEANS SPACED APART TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SMOOTH SURFACE BETWEEN THEM, SHIFTABLE MEANS ON THE HEAD PORTION HAVING A TAB THAT ENGAGES THE TEETH MEANS TO PREVENT OPERATIN OF THE CONTROL MEANS AND RIDES ALONG THE ANNULAR SMOOTH SURFACE WHEN THE TAB IS FREE OF THE 